About 120 students of Kadjebi-Asato Senior High School in the Oti Region have been affected by smoke inhalation, panic and shock after attempting to contain a fire that broke out in the boys’ dormitory before firefighters arrived.
According to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), the incident occurred on December 2.
A distress call was received at 10:07 am, and although the responding station did not have a functional fire engine, personnel arrived at the scene at 10:16 a.m. and immediately began firefighting and search-and-rescue operations with help from students.
Their swift action prevented the complete destruction of the dormitory block. One room and its contents on the first floor were completely destroyed, while the remaining rooms and the entire ground floor were salvaged.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the fire was caused by an electrical fault linked to illegal wiring connections.
In total, 120 students were affected. About 70 students fainted due to shock, panic and smoke inhalation, while approximately 58 students lost all their personal belongings. All affected students have been treated and discharged, except two who are still recovering.
The fire was fully extinguished at 10:46 am.
The GNFS wished the injured students a speedy recovery and cautioned students against illegal electrical connections. It also urged school authorities, particularly Housemasters and Housemistresses, to strengthen supervision to ensure safety in dormitories.
